title: Black rhinoceros (Diceros bicornis) populations in northwestern Namibia are apparently not infected with piroplasms.
abstract: Babesiosis is a potentially fatal disease in black rhinoceroses. Blood specimens collected from black rhinoceroses from Etosha National Park (n = 29) and Damaraland (n = 22), Namibia, were subjected to polymerase chain reaction using Theileria and Babesia genus-specific primers and reverse line blot, with negative results. The animals were sparsely infested with ticks. In the absence of suitable prophylactic measures, naïve rhinoceroses would be at risk if translocated to Babesia-endemic areas.
authors.affiliation: Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Pretoria, Onderstepoort, South Africa. banie.penzhorn@up.ac.za
authors.forename: Barend L
authors.initials: BL
authors.lastname: Penzhorn
authors.forename: Marinda C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Oosthuizen
authors.forename: Anna-Mari
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Bosman
authors.forename: J Werner
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kilian
authors.forename: Ivan G
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Horak
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000469:parasitology; D001403:Babesia / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D001404:Babesiosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary*; D001483:Base Sequence; D016054:DNA, Protozoan / Q000737:chemistry / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D008297:Male; D009276:Namibia / Q000453:epidemiology; D010527:Perissodactyla / Q000469:parasitology*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction / Q000379:methods / Q000662:veterinary; D016794:Theileria / Q000302:isolation & purification; D013801:Theileriasis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology; D013984:Tick Infestations / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000662:veterinary; D013987:Ticks / Q000469:parasitology
chemical_list: D016054:DNA, Protozoan